India’s dashing opener Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma have put pen on paper to confirm their move to the Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League 2021/22. The defending champions have signed both these players as replacements for Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont.
This will be Mandhana’s third club association in the BBL, having previously represented the Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat. She played 25 games in the league, having scored 407 runs, including two half-centuries. Despite never bowling at the international level, Mandhana has bowled in the WBBL and picked up three wickets.
Sharma will debut at the tournament, having just played in the Women’s Hundred where she represented London Spirit, scoring 77 runs with the willow and was outstanding with the ball, picking up 10 wickets.
Thunder have lost two big players in Beaumont and Knight, who played a big role in helping the side go all the way. Mandhana and Sharma have a big task and huge boots to fill in, but their recent international form is an indicator that they are more than up for this job.
The Indian duo was also a part of the Western Storm’s title-winning side in 2019 in the Kia Super League, coached by the current Thunder head coach Trevor Griffin at the time.
Shafali Verma and Radha Yadav are two other notable Indians who signed for WBBL clubs this season. Notably, they signed for Sydney Sixers, making the Sydney Derby this season ever-so interesting, especially for the Indian fans.
The 2021 edition of the WBBL will kick-start on October 14. Sixers will be in action in the opening game against the Melbourne Stars, whilst the Thunder will kick-start their title defence a couple of days later against Adelaide Strikers. The Sydney Derby will take place on October 23 at the UTAS Stadium.
